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Star Trek Excalibur, Voting Continues!

C

Captain_Nelson

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Red Shirt
As of July 11th at 11:00am PST Excalibur is in 63rd place in the Pepsi Refresh Everything contest!
Please help us get to #1 to receive a grant and make our show with out having to ask for a single donation!
http://www.refresheverything.com/excalibur
Please vote once per day with each email address you have an once from facebook if you are a member there
Here is the link to Excalibur's facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Las-Vegas-NV/Star-Trek-Excalibur/338034672468?__a=38&ajaxpipe=1

Please, visit our new web site!
http://www.startrekexcalibur.org

Thanks, The Excalibur Team
 
Umm... I know fanfilms are non-profit, and that any and all donated money goes to production costs, but IDK if grants are allowed to go to a fanfilm based off of something which a major studio owns the rights to, like Star Trek. If a private person donates money, that's one thing, but IDK if organizations or companies are allowed to give money to a fanfilm based off of Trek or any other already established sci-fi TV show/film.

Does anyone here on the BBS know about the legality of grant money going to Trek fanfilms?

EDIT: The reason I state this is not to sound like an ass, but you mentioned that this was a Pepsi thing... I would think if Pepsi gave any money to a fanfilm based off of Trek, that would pretty much constitute paying for part of it, which could be seen as a form of advertisement.
 
I dunno the legal stuff, but I suspect if Excalibur goes exactly what it says it's going to do and documents the work of the pros and the students, then the grant remains a grant and not advertising.
 
I suspect that Paramount will slam Excalibur with an injunction if they won anyways (edit: an maybe even all fan films), and I'm not even sure that Pepsi would actually give them a grant if they did win.

Always the skeptic, you know...
 
The current top twenty for the quarter-million dollar grant level includes projects like:


  • Start saving lives of children affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy
  • Open a Comprehensive, Cutting-Edge, Family-Based Autism Therapy Center
  • Turn Research into Reality for 1000's of girls with Rett Syndrome
  • Build a stray cat refuge with spay/neuter, vet/rehab & life home.
  • Return the Favor to troops and their families for urgent unmet needs.
  • Build an addition to treat and rehabilitate puppy mill survivors.
  • Save lives. Fund one year of Duchenne research.
 
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And yet, last month the actual WINNER included:
Build a weight room for the Kicking Mules of Bedford High School.
Mule Muscle, Inc.
http://www.refresheverything.com/mulemuscle
I agree there are some very worthy ideas.

But the actual top TWO ideas this month are NONE of those you listed. Instead, they are:
Save the Music. Open a business school for artists. Hip-Hop Academy http://www.refresheverything.com/hiphopacademy

and
"Complete the Dream" and Build "Legacy Gardens" for the Community!
Heath Community Arts Council on behalf of Davis-Shai House
http://www.refresheverything.com/davisshaihouse
 
I'm genuinely curious as to who these professionals are that are going to be doing all the teaching. Since said teaching is the stated purpose for the petitioned grant, I imagine Pepsi would want to know that as well. Given the sum of money, and the potential legal aspects, I would certainly hope everyone has their 'i's dotted and their 't's crossed.

I'm also inclined to agree with the points raised by Dennis and Potemkin, and while I support the ingenuity here, I'm really not convinced this is a wise (or practical) direction to take.
 
The people involved have always mostly been film professionals. These nasty comments are really unworthy of those who posted them. What's more, my understanding from discussions with the people involved is that this was always a teacher's project.

That said, they still need votes. http://www.refresheverything.com/excalibur
 
I don't see any nasty comments here. I asked a fair question, and others have raised some fair points. I really don't see what the issue is, or why anyone has to assume a negative intent. As far as I know, no one here has any ill will towards the Excalibur folks.
 
In fact, most of us have nothing but the utmost admiration for the work Joseph's done. If anything's "unworthy," it's for someone to suddenly claim that any of the comments in this thread are "nasty."
 
If anything, people want to know the Excalibur folks aren't going to get into any hot water with CBS over any legal issues. Fanfilms walk a very narrow line as far as tolerance, and no one wants to see them slapped with a cease and desist because someone deems they've stepped over a line.

I guess it's easy to misinterpret intent when it's just a bunch of text on a screen. I know I don't always come across the way I intend face to face, so I can only imagine how poorly I might come across as just a text. ;)
 
Fans putting their own money together to make fan films is one thing, but trust me this won't wash with CBS...
 
This just sounds like the kind of idea that comes out of the bottom of a glass just before closing time. If something like this raises even a yellow flag, let alone a red one, I think it's best to back out quietly. The problem for CBS as I understand it is they could possibly lose some of their copyright leverage if they don't actively try to enforce it. It's one thing to ignore someone who's just trying to have some fun and spending their own money doing it, but something this high profile could force them to act and if they have to act, they would probably have to act against everyone.

That's certainly no slap at anyone involved with Excalibur, but I think this is an idea that would best be let go of.
 
Paramount and CBS are aware of this. Some of our people work there.
It is within the unwritten guidelines for a fan shows.
If a grant is received 100% of it will go into teaching and the production of the show. NO Profit will be made by anyone. And that is the #1 rule.

The idea that we would do anything that violates what these type of productions can and cant do, with as many people that have worked on Trek and work at the studios involved, is simply not true.

Also, I see nothing here but an open discussion nothing mean spirited. Just genuine concern. But some of what went on may have went differently if anyone had sent me an email and just asked me about it.
 
Joseph, I'm glad you're not taking any ill will from this. I do think it's best discussed in the open though, since there are likely to be other people who wonder about these things.
 
USS Intrepid said:
Joseph, I'm glad you're not taking any ill will from this. I do think it's best discussed in the open though, since there are likely to be other people who wonder about these things.
Click to expand...

Perhaps even more importantly people who want to venture into fan films will get an idea of what the obstacles and pitfalls are. Whether it's a high end production like Phase II or a much smaller scale effort like Excelsior we all live under a metaphorical Sword of Damocles when it comes to possibly getting hit with legal actions. The powers that be have been very tolerant to date, but there's no telling when that might change. Being mindful that they have their own interests to look out for and trying to respect those interests is very important to keep fan productions flowing.
 
MikeH92467 said:
USS Intrepid said:
Joseph, I'm glad you're not taking any ill will from this. I do think it's best discussed in the open though, since there are likely to be other people who wonder about these things.
Click to expand...

Perhaps even more importantly people who want to venture into fan films will get an idea of what the obstacles and pitfalls are. Whether it's a high end production like Phase II or a much smaller scale effort like Excelsior we all live under a metaphorical Sword of Damocles when it comes to possibly getting hit with legal actions. The powers that be have been very tolerant to date, but there's no telling when that might change. Being mindful that they have their own interests to look out for and trying to respect those interests is very important to keep fan productions flowing.
Click to expand...

Agreed with both! I don't think the discussion here's been anything but illustrative of the concern we have. I've had a lot of experience since we've published fanzines since 1979, and we regard fan films as a new extension of that process. But always, always we keep it in mind that at any time, Viacom could come in and say, "Game over."
 
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